Difficulty Rating:
4 out of 5
Ashokan is New York City's second biggest reservoir. This shady route crosses the reservoir and provides panoramic views from both sides. If the visability is clear, views of the Catskills are striking as they ring the reservoir on 3 sides.
Route starts and ends at Poughkeepsie Metro-North station. Check train times.
Ride With GPS cue sheet and route goes over the High Bridge at Poughkeespie both ways.
I just did this ride and hit a home run: the roads are in great shape, few motor traffic (except the 7 miles of route 28, but there is a wide shoulder), magnificent scenery, and brilliant sunshine with low humidity. The turn off route 32 onto route 213 East, right after the bridge over the Wallkill River is dangerous. If you do not have a clear view both directons of no motor traffic, you are advised to get onto the right shoulder and wait till it is safe to make that left.
2 optional changes to the route, found in this Ride Library:
1 Instead of taking a right off Springtown/Elting Rd, continue straight, taking a left onto Mountain Rd, then a quick right onto the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail. You will immediately cross over the the Rondout Creek on the Rosendale Trestle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosendale_Trestle
The path is unpaved off the trestle, but quite rideable. Stay on the rail trail just about 0.4 mile and take the first path that descends off of it. Thank a left onto the road, Brinnewater Rd. It will drop you back onto the original route at Route 213, 0.1 mile west of where you would have turned onto it. And, if you feel cool air on your right just before you had turned off the rail trail, pull over onto a side path, park your bike and look into the hole under the cliff face. Chances are you will see snow in it, even into mid summer.
2 Instead of riding the shoulder of Route 28 for 7 miles, ride the Ashokan Rail Trail. The distance is the same.
HS 9/26/2020
